


West-Allen Drabble Alphabet

by rangersandlegends



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-07-13 09:08:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 13,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16014779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rangersandlegends/pseuds/rangersandlegends
Summary: Just 26 drabbles about our favorite Flash couple. They are not chronological, but are all in the same universe.





	1. Athlete

His name was Todd Peters, and he was everything Barry was not. Six feet, pure muscle, and all-state running back. Oh, and the object of sixteen-year-old Iris’ affections. Barry learned the rules of football thanks to all the games Iris dragged him to, under the guise of school spirit, but with the true goal of cheering on Todd.

 

“Do you think Todd would notice me if I joined the cheer squad?”

 

That one caught Barry off guard. He had no idea her crush meant that much to her. Apparently this wasn’t just a passing fancy.

 

“That seems like a lot of work for a guy you don’t know all that well,” Barry commented neutrally.

 

“You’re right. I need to get to know him better. The cheerleaders spent a lot of time around the team. I think I’ll try-out.”

 

Cue the next weeks’ tryouts, where Iris proved she wasn’t ready to keep up with the rest of the group. Barry came with her, of course, for moral support, but even he was pained at Iris’ attempts at a handstand. Barry tried to comfort her when she emerged from the gym, her eyes shiny with unshed tears.

 

“Iris, it’s okay. You can get to know Todd another way.”

 

“It’s over. Todd was in the bleachers.”

 

“Oh, Iris…”

 

“He and his friends were laughing. I made a huge fool of myself in front of the entire team!”

 

Barry just gave her a hug, wishing he could tell her how he felt. How his feelings didn’t waiver in the face of her cheer skills. If anything, they made her more endearing.

 

“At least I have you, Barry,” she muttered into his shirt.

 

“Always,” he whispered back into her hair.

 

Iris never mentioned Todd again until fifteen years had passed. They were curled on their couch, flipping through an old yearbook.

 

“Oh my God!” she suddenly exclaimed.

 

“What?” Barry asked.

 

She smacked her finger against a student’s photo. “Todd Peters! Do you remember him?”

 

“Um yeah, he was the bane of my existence for six months.”

 

“Oh, come on, I wasn’t that bad.”

 

“Iris, you made me go to football games. Football. You were obsessed.”

 

“It was just a crush.”

 

“No, it was a pattern.”

 

“Pattern?”

 

“Todd Peters, Zach Scott, Chris Dempsey? All athletes.”

 

“Oh, wow. Hadn’t really noticed that.”

 

“Yeah, it gave me a big inferiority complex. I thought you’d never like someone like me.”

 

“Babe, it was just stupid teenage hormones. Besides, I have the better deal now.”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. I’m married to the greatest athlete alive.”

 

Barry beamed. If only high school Barry could see him now.


	2. Blood

Barry rarely bled. Ever since getting super-healing, any cuts healed too quickly to bleed. By the time he got back to STAR Labs, the concerns were broken bones, burns, and head trauma. Iris was glad. It was bad enough her husband got injured on a daily basis; she didn’t want to have to see the blood too.

 

So when Barry rushed back into the Cortex with a gash on his forehead, Iris knew they were in trouble. She couldn’t imagine how deep the wound had to be to not have healed yet. Iris yelled out to Caitlin to get to the med bay, and supported as much of Barry’s weight as she could while she walked him there.

 

She did her best to gently drop him on the med chair. She started moving his hair out of the way of the wound and whispering soothing nonsense. Caitlin immediately dove in to start cleaning the wound, and wordlessly handed off the wet washcloth for Iris to clean the rest of Barry’s face. She slowly but efficiently ran the cloth over his closed eyes, his nose, and his cheekbones.

 

“This needs stitches,” Caitlin accessed.

 

“Won’t he heal?” 

 

“Yes, but I’m not losing any more blood waiting for that to happen.” She turned to a semi-conscious Barry. “Barry, I need to flush out the wound with antiseptic solution. It’s going to burn.”

 

Barry moaned his acknowledgement. Caitlin looked at Iris, who got into position, and nodded.

 

Caitlin and Iris had something of a routine for treating Barry. Caitlin would always let her know when she’d cause Barry pain, and Iris would hunker down on whichever side Caitlin wasn’t on to give Barry strength. She’s usually stroke his hand, and let him hold hers as tight as he needed. It hurt her, but nowhere near as much pain as her husband was feeling. Besides, Barry didn’t have super strength. He could only squeezed so hard.

 

As Caitlin cleaned the wound, Barry began to thrash. Without needing to be told, Iris stood, and braced Barry’s shoulders. When he got into a haze like this, he couldn’t be reasoned with. She just spoke to him in a calming tone, begging him to stay still. Luckily, his thrashing was at human speed, so she was able to get through to him. He relaxed.

 

Barry had never gotten stitches before. Not before the lightning and certainly not after. Iris had gotten stitches once, after a run-in with a meta, but she had a local anesthetic. Barry would burn though that too fast for Caitlin to bother. Iris could only hope it would feel like pinching to Barry.

 

Caitlin began, and Iris couldn’t watch. Instead, she stroked Barry’s arm and told him how proud she was. She heard Caitlin’s gloves snap off after ten minutes.

 

“Done.”

 

Iris looked at his forehead. Caitlin’s stitches were small and tight, and barely visible. But Barry still looked like Frankenstein. Caitlin retreated, as part of their routine. Iris always got to be the first person Barry saw when he opened his eyes. She could tell him he was alright and remind him of what happened. They’d take comfort in each other’s presence. After a few minutes, Caitlin would appear with all of the results of Barry’s tests, as well as timing for how long Barry would need to heal.

 

Barry grunted, and tried to sit up. Iris put her hand on his ensignia to push him back down. 

 

“It’s okay. You’re okay. Just rest.”

 

“My head…” he mumbled.

 

“Yeah, it’s going to hurt. That meta slashed you across the forehead. It was deep enough that Caitlin had to put in stitches.” Barry’s right hand rose up to touch his head. Iris laced their fingers together and brought their hands to her lap. “It’s fresh. Let’s leave it be.”

 

“Cisco?”

 

“Cisco is transporting the victims to the hospital.” Barry nodded. “You really scared me this time, Barr.” She tried to keep her voice even, and failed. “I’ve never seen so much blood. You never bleed.”

 

“‘M sorry,” he replied contritely. And she believed him. She wasn’t angry, she had gotten over her initial reaction every time he put himself in danger. Now, she just felt scared. Every time.

 

“I thought it would get easier with time, but this was different. You weren’t healing, and…” She broke into a sob.

 

“I’ll always come back,” he eked out.

 

She took a centering breath. “I know. Just less blood next time, yeah?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

Caitlin emerged then, letting Iris’ mind wander to happy thoughts. She now knew she could handle anything, except her husband’s blood. 


	3. Cooties

“Boy are icky!” a confident five year old Nora West-Allen declared.

 

“Hey!” her twin pouted. “I’m a boy.”

 

Nora patted her brother’s head. “Every boy except you and Daddy is icky.”

 

Barry exchanged a look with his wife. If he had his way Nora would think boys were icky forever. However, statistics showed that most teenage girls fell for teenage boys eventually. Still, he held out hope that she wouldn’t date until she was thirty.

 

Nora decided to push the envelope when she came home from seventh grade, excited that some boy named Neil had asked her to the annual middle school dance. Nora asked if they would pick up Neil on the car ride over.

 

“Let’s wait until your mom gets here,” Barry said shakily.

 

Nora was working on homework when Iris came home, and Barry pulled her up to their room.

 

“Babe, what is it?” a concerned Iris asked.

 

“Nora has a date to the dance.”

 

“With a boy?”

 

Barry could only nod while wringing his hands together.

 

“And this is a problem because…?”   
  


“Because she’s twelve. I just thought we had more time before we had to deal with this. She’s still a little girl.”

 

Iris smiled before putting her hands on his shoulders. His instinctively went to her hips. “She’s growing up. And I don’t think going to a highly-supervised school-sponsored function to maybe sway back and forth with a boy is the end of the world.”

 

“Today it’s swaying, before we know it she’s having sex.”

 

“Whoa honey, you’re getting ahead of yourself.”

 

“Boys can’t be trusted. I would know.”

 

“We’ll just take this one step at a time. Remember when the twins were crawling and you worried about them leaving you?” He nodded guiltily. “This is like that. We’ve still got some time to get our heads on straight.”

 

Barry slowly exhaled. “So we’re going to let her to go the dance?”

 

“Yes, we are. I was about her age when I first went to a dance. But I think we set boundaries for both the twins, about where they can go and with whom.”

 

Barry went for his last pitch. “We know for a fact that she doesn’t end up with a guy named Neil in fifteen years.”

 

Iris shook her head. “I’m not using future knowledge to keep our daughter from dating, honey. She’s going to the dance.”

 

Barry leaned in for a kiss. “Alright. But I get veto power on her dress.”

 

Iris’ lips met his. “Deal.”


	4. Donovan

Donovan West-Allen was born three minutes after Nora West-Allen. Since that moment, he had been playing catch-up. Nora had walked first, talked first, read first. Nora had even gotten her speed first, and, while the family was proud, it was a lot to get used to. Nora had difficulty controlling her powers at first, leading to a lot of running home crying from school because her hand wouldn’t stop vibrating in social studies. There were many tears for a few months.

 

Barry worked with Nora every day on control at STAR Labs, leaving Don to feel a bit left out. Sometimes he’d sit in the speed lab and watch, but there wasn’t much to see except lightning. Iris would sit with him from time to time, and encourage Nora at others.

 

“Mom,” Don asked one day, “how does it feel not having speed?”

 

“Pretty normal. I think I’ve gotten used to your dad always running around.”

 

“Do you ever get jealous?”

 

Ah. So that’s what this was about. “All the time. Sometimes of the speed, sometimes of your dad’s ability to help people.”

 

“But you help people all the time at the paper.”

 

“Yes, you’re right. But I’m not a superhero.”

 

“Do you think Nora’s going to be a superhero?”

 

“If she wants to when she’s older, maybe. We need to have a lot of conversations between now and then, though. And run a lot of tests.”

 

“Aunt Caitlin says I have a meta-gene, so why don’t I have speed?”

 

Iris considered her approach. It’s something she and her husband spent a lot of time discussing. “You don’t remember this, but it took you longer than your sister to learn to walk.”

 

“How much longer?”

 

“A few weeks. And in that time your father and I worried that maybe something was wrong in your development but the doctor reminded us to be patient. Just because you’re twins doesn’t mean you have to be exactly alike.”

 

“What happened when I finally walked?”

 

Iris chuckled at the memory. “You might not have been the first to walk, but you were the first to run.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Really. We were so proud. You and Nora loved running all around the house. And I know that you’ll be running with your sister again soon. Let’s just give it time.”

 

Don stood up. “Mom?”

 

“Yeah, bud?”

 

“You said you weren’t a superhero. But you are to me.”


	5. Elephants

Nora West-Allen was trying her darndest to enjoy the time she had with her parents while they were her age. It was strange, but she got used to it faster than her mom and dad. If she wasn’t a speedster, she wasn’t sure her dad would believe her at all. Her mom just wanted to be close to her, and Nora gave her as much as she could, given the circumstances.

 

One afternoon, Nora sat in her future nursery. It was currently where Iris worked from home. Nora sat against a wall and looked out the window, appreciating the outdated view of the city skyline. It was low and overly grey. The future was bigger and brighter.

 

Barry came in and sat next to his daughter. “What are you thinking about?”

 

“This room. It’s practically empty.”

 

He chuckled. “You should see it when your mom is working on a story. Not a surface is bare, and that includes the ceiling. We need to keep it spartan so she can take it over when the time comes.”

 

“Huh.” Nora didn’t have much to say about her mother’s career.

 

“That’s all I get? Huh?”

 

Nora avoided the question. “When I was little, I wanted to be a zoologist.”

 

“Why’s that?”   
  
“I had this obsession with elephants. I could recite all kinds of facts, I read all these books, and I begged you to go to the zoo constantly.”

 

“All animals, or just elephants?”

 

She shrugged. “Just elephants. You’d think the Flash’s daughter would be into cheetahs or whatever, but I just had a passion for elephants.”

 

“Give me a fun fact.”

 

“What?”

 

“Tell me something about elephants.”

 

“Elephants are matriarchal. Females lead the herd.”

 

“I didn’t know that.”

 

“Yeah, that’s why my elephant was a girl.”

 

“Your elephant?”

 

“I had this stuffed elephant called Peanuts. I don’t remember where I got it, but I had a phase where I never went anywhere without it.”

 

“What happened to Peanuts?”

 

She shrugged. “I got rid of her eventually.”

 

“And zoology?”

 

“Being a speedster doesn’t lend a lot of time toward pursuing a doctorate.”

 

“So what do you do for a job?”

 

She stood up. “That’s enough for now. Too much future knowledge is dangerous.”

 

After Nora had returned to her own time, Iris returned to the study to work. She called Barry in. “Babe, what’s this?”

 

It was a stuffed elephant, sitting on her desk.

 

Barry smiled. “That’s Peanuts.”

 

“What is Peanuts?”

 

“It belongs to our daughter.”

 

“She left it behind?”

 

“Not that daughter. The one who’s yet to come.”


	6. Firsts

The first time Barry knows he loves Iris is in the second grade. She’s scrunching her nose up in thought as she looks over her math quiz. He’s already turned his in, so he doesn’t think it’s cheating to lean over and see which problem she’s stuck on.

 

“The answer is seven,” he loudly whispers to her.

 

Her nose unscrunches, and she gives him a genuine smile. “Thanks.”

 

“Barry.” Ms. Ferbus calls from the front of the room. Uh-oh.

 

Barry gets his whole week of recesses taken away, but it’s worth it. There’s something about Iris that doesn’t make skipping recess so bad. Especially since she skips it with him.

 

Barry and Iris go to the movies a few times a month as best friends, thinking nothing of it. But the first movie they see on a date is Hidden Figures. Iris is moved to tears, and Barry can only watch her. She’s beautiful even with tears in her eyes. Iris catches him watching her a few times, but he doesn’t pretend he hasn’t been. He just looks her in the eye and smiles. He isn’t embarrassed to look at his...girlfriend? He never thinks of her that way. He just thinks of her as his, and himself as hers. 

 

Barry can’t tell you the first time he brushed his teeth next to Iris. They shared a bathroom at Joe’s, and brushing their teeth side by side was par for the course.

 

He can, however, tell you the first time they do so as a couple. It is the morning after they move in together and Iris has her own toothbrush at the loft. He’s grinning so hard he can barely reach all his teeth. He and Iris can finally be domestic. Not as roommates but as...girlfriend and boyfriend? That sounds so high school. It doesn’t describe the magnitude of what Iris is to him.

 

The first time Iris wakes up in the same bed as Barry is a revelation. That he had missed out of years of this because he had been afraid of his feelings? Preposterous. All of his concerns seem ridiculous when he has Iris in his bed. He wonders how long he can stare at her before she realizes what a dork he is, even in her sleep. He doesn’t care. He is going to watch her sleep as long as he lives. Yeah, that sounds good. Great, even.

 

The first time Barry considers asking Iris the question is a winter day, ice skating at the park. Iris skates literal circles around him as he continuously falls on his butt. He doesn’t care, because it makes her laugh, and how he loves her laugh. That’s when he decides that the only way to never stop hearing that laugh is marriage. The thought should shock him, but it is oddly calming. Yes, this is how the universe should operate. This is how Barry and Iris should spend their lives: together.

 

The first time Iris agrees to marry him is exactly how he planned it. The food, the flowers, the speech. But the first time he hears the love of his life agree to marry him is nothing like he anticipated. He thought it would be through tears, or slightly breathy with surprise. Instead, it is a firm “yes” followed by kisses. Lots of kisses. 


	7. Gone

There were only so many kidnappings one could take before it became, well, unexciting. Even with this bomb strapped to her chest, counting down the seconds, Iris knew Barry was coming. Occasionally, the villain du jour would come around and taunt her, but she mostly ignored him. He wouldn’t get the satisfaction of getting a rise out of her.

 

“So, you’re the Flash’s biggest fangirl, and he won’t come for you?”

 

“Oh, he’s coming for me. It’s just a matter of time.”

 

“He has ninety seconds.”

 

That he did. But ninety seconds was days for Barry. He could search the whole city, phase through every building, in less. Considering the kidnapper had gone cliche, and chosen an abandoned warehouse, it would be even easier for her husband to find her.

 

“Sixty seconds.” Okay. Barry was cutting it a bit close.   
  
“Shouldn’t you get out of here, if I’m about to blow up?” Doubt flickered across the man’s face. “Or were you not planning on actually blowing me up, and you just want to draw out the Flash?”

 

“It’s not a fake bomb, if that’s what you’re asking.”

 

“Oh my gosh, you wired me up with a fake bomb. And you seriously thought the Flash would show up?”

 

“I-I…”

 

“I had a lunch date today, mister.” Iris kicked him in the ankles with her unbound legs. “Just let me go, before the Flash shows up and takes you to the police.”

 

Iris gave him her best stern look, and he untied her. What a waste of a day. She punched him, of course, when she was free, then triggered her panic button. Barry was right there, and took in the scene.

 

“Iris, were you kidnapped?”

 

To be fair, it was hard to tell who had hurt whom. 

 

“Sort of. Can you take this guy down to the station? I was supposed to meet Linda half an hour ago, and she’s probably wondering where I am.”

 

“Was I supposed to know you were kidnapped? I thought you were at work.”

 

“I was, before this idiot came up with a plan to kill the Flash, without mentioning the hostage situation to anyone, apparently.”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Just moderately pissed at him. It’ll pass.”

 

“I would’ve come for you.”

 

“I had it handled.”

 

“Just know I’ll always come when you call.”

 

“I know. Love you.”

 

“You, too.”

 

He sped off with her would-be murderer, leaving her, she realized, to walk to the bistro. Still, she’d have a story to tell when she got there.


	8. Hero

It had been a long time since anyone died on Barry’s watch. DeVoe had killed the last person Barry had been actively trying to save. he didn’t think about those deaths as much anymore. He reminded himself those deaths weren’t his fault. He couldn’t save everyone. He wasn’t a god.

 

Barry had isolated himself in Cisco’s lab. STAR Labs was big enough that it would take a bit for anyone to find him. Of course, if he really wanted to hide, he could run to China or vibrate his atoms so fast he was invisible to the naked eye. So maybe he wasn’t really hiding all that well.

 

“Babe?” he heard Iris call out from the hallway. She appeared in the doorway. “What are you doing in here?”

 

“Just thinking.”

 

“Penny for your thoughts.”

 

“If I had been faster-”

 

“Faster than a laser? I’m not a physicist, but even I know that’s not possible.”

 

“If I had gotten to the scene sooner, or saw the gun, or-”

 

“You could come up with a million things you think you did wrong. The truth is you did everything in your power to sav that man. The only person who has that death on their conscience is the murderer.”

 

“You didn't see his face, Iris. He knew it. His eyes...he was so terrified.”

 

“He probably was. That might make his death more tragic, but it doesn’t make it any more your fault.”

 

“I just….how can I live my life as Barry Allen, knowing that while I’m with you, or at work, or eating lunch, I could be saving someone?”

 

Iris pulled up a stool to sit by her husband. “You’re right. If you eat lunch for even five minutes, someone could get in a car accident across town. When we're watching a movie, someone could hold up a bank. Even if you tried to save those people, you could be too late. That’s a huge burden to live with.”

 

Barry felt tears in his eyes. “How can I justify having this gift and not using it to the fullest extent? How can I be a man and the hero this city needs?”

 

“Because you’re just a man, Barry. A good man. Someone else could've gotten your powers and become a villain, but you chose to be a hero, because that's who you are. No one is asking you to be everywhere at once. You’ve saved more people in this city than anyone could’ve asked you to.”

 

“But what if I could save more?”

 

“At what cost, Barry? Being a husband? A father? Your sanity? All the things that make you, you? What kind of hero could you be then?”

 

Barry sighed. “You’re right. I know you’re right. It’s just hard sometimes, when I fail.”

 

Iris cupped his face in her hands and turned his face to her. “Listen to me, Barry Allen. You did not fail You caught the bad guy and saved hundreds of lives. No one could’ve done better. You’re a hero.”

 

Barry leaned into his wife’s hand. “Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“Making me believe. Making me a hero.”


	9. Invincable

When he was seven years old, Barry fell off the swings and broke his arm. Up until that fateful moment, he had felt like he was flying. Wind in his hair, that swooping feeling in his stomach, and a smile on his face. He was untouchable. Invincible. 

 

After that, he was more cautious. Not to swing too high or run too fast. No one was invincible.

 

Life kicked Barry around for awhile, and it hurt. His life became a constant series of changes that were hard to keep track of. New house, new family, new best friend. That last one was a good change. Before he met Iris, Barry barely had friends, to say nothing of one that could be considered best. Iris made rainy days brighter, scraped knees better, and that pain just a bit duller. She made him a little more invincible.

 

When he discovered his powers, Barry felt untouchable. Wind in his hair, that swooping feeling in his stomach, and a smile on his face. He would never admit to anyone how often he ran around the city those first few months, just for the pure joy of it. No fear, no worries, no tomorrow. Just the lightning. Invincible.

 

But then came an endless list of metas infringing on his reckless peace. Suddenly running had to be for a reason. It became about training and fighting and protecting. And one broken bone at a time, Barry was reminded he was not anywhere close to invulnerable.

 

He didn’t get that invincible feeling again until Iris kissed him. She ignited the lightning, allowing him to fly back in time. After all, who could hurt the man whose heart was held by Iris West?

 

Another year went by of the world proving Barry’s morality before Iris returned to his side. It was easier to go save the city knowing he got to come home to her. Over and over again, he got to run home to her. And every time, it left him in awe.

 

Nights with her, just lying in her arms, were like running. Her fingers in his hair, that swooping feeling in his stomach, and a smile on his face. No man was invincible, but Iris West-Allen’s husband sure felt like he was.


	10. Jealous

“You know, I used to think you and Caitlin…” Iris didn’t know how to finish.

 

“Me and Caitlin what?” her husband asked, curious.

 

“In the early days, I thought you might...like her?” Iris asked what should’ve been a statement as a question.

 

Barry got nervous. “If you ask me a question, I’ll answer honestly.”

 

“Was there ever anything between you and Caitlin?”

 

Barry took a deep breath and took her hand between his own. “No. There was one night I took her home when she was drunk, and she flirted a bit.”

 

“And that’s it?”

 

“I stayed with her until she fell asleep, which was only a few minutes, and that was it. We never spoke of it again. I’m not sure she even remembers.”

 

Iris let out a deep sigh. “It should’ve matter-we weren’t together back then. It’s just…”

 

“You’re retroactively jealous?”

 

She chuckled. “Yeah. Is that weird?”

 

Barry shook his head. “No. I was jealous of all your relationships for years. It only seems fair you get some of that jealousy.”

 

“You were jealous?” Barry nodded. “I know about Eddie, but there were others?”

 

“Iris, I’ve been in love with you for like twenty years. I was jealous of any guy who so much as looked at you.”

 

“Name one.”

 

“What?”

 

“Who were you all jealous of?”

 

“Um, we can start with your eighth grade boyfriend, Steve Mannis.”

 

“That doesn’t really count. Once my dad realized I had a boyfriend, he forbade it until I was sixteen.”

 

Barry blushed. “About that…”

 

“What?” Iris asked an obviously guilty Barry.

 

“I was the one who told Joe about you and Steve.”

 

“You did what?!?”

 

“I knew he’d end it.”

 

“You little...Steve was supposed to be my first kiss!” Iris playfully hit him with a throw pillow.   
  
“The guy was a jerk. You deserved way better.”

 

“All fourteen-year-old boys are jerks.”

 

“I wasn’t! And don’t forget, Steve ended up knocking that girl up senior year.”

 

“That’s true. Maybe I did dodge a bullet there.” She tapped her chin in thought. “Okay, I forgive you.”

 

“You do?”

 

“Mmm-hmmm.” She crawled into his lap. “Besides you’re hot when you’re jealous.”

 

“I could say the same of you. Just don’t forget I’m yours, Mrs.West-Allen.”

 

“Never, Mr. Allen.”

 

There was no talk of past relationships for the rest of the night. In fact, there was no talk at all.


	11. Kisses

Barry’s first first kiss with Iris was at the end of the world. She didn’t remember, because it technically hadn’t happened, but Barry remembered everything about it. It was perfect.

 

His second first kiss was no less perfect, nor his third, or his fourth and final. Anytime Barry got to kiss Iris was perfect, and he eventually adjusted to the idea that their first kiss didn't matter. It was all their kisses after. 

 

Still, Iris had her questions. “Were we ever together before Flashpoint?” she asked one night, years into their marriage.

 

“What’s bringing this on?”

 

“Because our first kiss...it was like you’d kissed me before.” Today, he now remembered, was the anniversary of her first kiss with him.

 

“We weren’t together, but yes, I had kissed you before Flashpoint.”

 

“Like a lot?”

 

“Three times over the years.”

 

“Over the years?”

 

Barry sighed. Not what he had meant to say. “Our first kiss was in 2014.”

 

Iris processed. “Before or after I knew you were the Flash?”

 

“Sort of...during? I kissed you, told you, and traveled back in time. That was my first time.”

 

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Iris asked, feigning being casual.

 

“I was in love with you then, and it wasn’t ever going to go anywhere. I accepted it, and I moved on.”

 

“Yeah, but since then, you’ve never mentioned it.”

 

“It just never really came up. I’m the only person who knows about that day, except maybe Thawne. I got used to keeping it a secret.”

 

Iris sat back. “So our first kiss was your…”

 

“Fourth,” Barry supplied.

 

“And each time, I didn’t know?”

 

“You kinda knew in Flashpoint, but kissed me anyway. I don’t run around the multiverse trying to kiss you, you know. It just kinda happens.”

 

“Multiverse?”

 

Okay, he didn’t mean that one, either. “Earth-2 Iris, the one who was already married to Earth-2 Barry, she kiss-ambushed me once by mistake.”

 

“What is a kiss-ambush?”

 

“She was very intense, so she snuck up on me.”

 

“Oh, like this?”

 

Iris launched herself into Barry’s lap and kissed him with fervor. When she pulled herself off him, he stammered for a bit. 

 

“Yes, exactly like that.”

 

“Any other secret kisses I should know about?”

 

“No, that’s all of them.”

 

“Okay, as your wife, I reserve the right to know about any kisses in reset timelines or for identity-concealment on alternate Earths. Got it?”

 

“Of course.”

 

And then, for good measure, Barry kiss-ambushed his wife.


	12. Love

Iris used to be the only child of Joe and Francine West. When she needed to draw a picture of her family, that’s what she drew: three people, colored in with the brown crayon. Then she didn’t have a mom, and there were only two people to draw.

 

Now Iris couldn’t imagine drawing her family. There were Joe and Cecile, Jenna and Wally, Barry and Nora. Her sister was a baby and her daughter was an adult. Barry had been family for twenty years, and she had only just married him. Cecile was more of a mother to her than Francine ever was, Barry considered Joe and Cecile his parents, and Jenna his sister.

 

But their family was one of the love and happiness. It wasn’t really a problem until Jenna was five. Barry and Iris were babysitting, and Jenna was making a family portrait. Iris honestly didn’t know what Jenna was going to draw. She couldn’t really tell who all the stick figures were, except that Jenna drew herself as the shortest.

 

“I wish she had another brother,” she blurted out.

 

“Why’s that, Jen?” Iris asked.

 

“Wally’s too old.”

 

“You’re right. It would be nice to have a playmate that’s your age.” Iris considered the matter done.

 

“No, silly. Wally’s too old for me to marry.” Barry and Iris exchanged terrified glances.

 

“What do you mean, sweetheart?” Barry asked experimentally.

 

“Iris is my sister, and you’re my brother, and you’re married. So I need a new brother so I can marry him.”

 

Barry gave Iris a “you can take this one” look, and Iris cleared her throat. “Honey, you know how your daddy is my daddy?” Jenna nodded. “Well, our daddy isn’t Barry’s daddy.”

 

Jenna’s little brows furrowed. She looked at Barry. “My daddy isn’t your daddy?”

Barry shook his head. “Your daddy raised me, though. I feel really close to him.”

 

Her eyes welled with tears. “Are you not my brother?”

 

Iris stooped by Jenna’s chair. “Of course Barry is your brother. You don’t need to share a mommy and daddy to be brother and sister. But Barry and I are married, not brother and sister. Does that make sense?”

 

Jenna considered it for a moment. “Okay. As long as I get to keep all my family.”

 

A relieved Iris pressed a kiss to Jenna’s head. “Of course. Your whole family loves you very much.”

 

She turned to Barry, who also looked visibly relieved. Yes, their family was complicated, but they had love. They wouldn’t choose to have it any other way.


	13. Marriage

Iris was hosting Nora’s bridal shower when it happened. Each woman in attendance wrote down a piece of advice for Nora’s married life, and Iris sorted through them to make sure none were disparaging or depressing. Her aunt Millie had written “Prepare for disappointment” and Iris threw that one out.

 

Most of them were similar: “Don’t go to bed angry,” or “Makeup sex is your friend,” but a few hit her down deep. “Tell him when something’s wrong; don’t let it fester just to avoid an argument.”

 

Iris had been guilty of that a few too many times. As perfect as Barry was sometimes he wouldn’t even know what he had done wrong in her eyes. It was good advice, as men could be so oblivious. 

 

“Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Iris had found herself worrying about Barry’s smelly feet, his habit of using all the warm water, or leaving the dishes in the sink at the expense of their marriage. Sure, it had bothered her; she wasn’t perfect. But she shouldn’t have expected perfection out of Barry, either. When it came down to it, he was a pretty perfect husband. He listened to her, he helped her raise two wonderful children, and he loved her. 

 

“Learn from each other.” She learned so much from Barry. Not just about how to test blood samples or run a fingerprint analysis. She learned how to be a better mother by watching him be a father. She learned how to see the best in people, even when they made it hard to do. She learned how to love unconditionally. And she hoped she taught Barry things, like how to be brave and face fear and fight for what’s right. 

 

“Never lie.” This was one she hoped she had lived up to. Barry had lied to her a few times over the course of their relationship, mostly about Flash business. But once they had been married, the lying stopped. The trust increased. And yes, she had kept a secret now and then (like when she wanted to surprise him with a pregnancy), but it was never to hurt him and it had never weakened their relationship. She and Barry were both dedicated to this one.

 

Iris smiled as she went through more and more of the advice. She would be happy to pass it on to her daughter on behalf of the people who loved her. Iris hadn’t written one of her own yet, not wanting to repeat anything the other guests had said. She had a few things she wanted to say, but didn’t want to get too hokey or awkward.

 

She took out one of her nicer fountain pens and began to write in her best calligraphy. 

 

“Remember that you’ve promised to stick it out for life, and even longer if you can. Just don’t rely on there being a tomorrow. Say what you mean today.”


	14. Need

 

The Police Officers’ Gala was one of the swankiest events on the Central City social calendar. There was no way they’d have gotten tickets if Barry didn’t work there. As it was, Iris was concerned about what to wear.

 

“Just wear your black dress,” Barry advised.

 

“I wore that last year.”

 

“So? I’m wearing the same tux.”

 

“Grrr. Men!” She threw up her hands in despair. She put far too much attention into her appearance for Barry to be so flippant. Finally, she enlisted Cecile in the shopping effort with toddler Jenna in tow. They got something that was sure to turn a few heads, especially her husband’s.

 

She descended the loft stairs to meet an already dressed Barry and his jaw literally dropped at the sight of his wife.

 

“You… you...Iris,” was all he managed.

 

“Thank you, honey,” she uttered with confidence. Confidence that came from a dress that dove in a v below her breasts, complemented by two side cut-outs. She did an experimental twirl to show off the back. “You like?”

 

“Iris,” he gulped. “How am i supposed to leave this house with you looking like that?”

 

“Like this,” and she led the way to the door and out of the loft.

 

Barry spent the entire ride over trying to focus on the road. It did not go well. Iris used her mirror to apply a deep red lipstick, and Barry tried to keep his eyes off his wife. It barely worked up until he got to the valet stand.

 

Iris, for her part, knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to keep things interesting, and going to the gala dressed like this was just the way to do it. As Barry put an arm around her to lead them into the gala, his skin brushed against one of the cut-outs, causing sparks to fly through her body. She knew Barry felt it, too, as he gently did it again before putting his arm in a more publicly appropriate position.

 

The gala was torture for Barry. Other men were looking at his wife, and he could not openly stare at her without being completely obvious. There were so many places he wanted to touch her, and could not. In a perfect world, the gala would end, and he could take her home. However, he needed to stay until the end, and that meant improvisation.

 

“Can I talk to you for a second, Iris?” He pulled Iris away from her discussion with his sergeant, and then down a hallway here and there until he got to a janitorial closet. He pushed her in, closed the door behind them, making sure to turn on the light. His lips found her as he pushed her against the back wall, making sure to cradle her head in his head. 

 

“Babe,” she managed between kisses. “A supply closet?”

 

“Just kiss me,” he moaned, drawing her hips closer to his.

 

Iris might’ve actually been on fire. She felt heat licking every inch of exposed skin. Barry just felt so good, and the fear that they might get caught heightened every sensation. She knew this dress was a good idea.

 

By the time they emerged from the closet, and Barry had assured Iris she did not look like she had just been ravished, and Iris had wiped lipstick off Barry’s face, the gala was winding down. As Barry and Iris entered the room, Captain Singh gave Barry a knowing look. Barry blushed, but it was completely worth it.

 

Iris considered wearing the dress more often after that, but Barry insisted she could only wear it places where he could take it off. That very night was one of those occasions.


	15. October

Iris almost dropped her coffee pot. Here he was, in the flesh, breathing and standing and talking and smiling. He was awake. She leapt into his arms, fearless, knowing he’d catch her. He held her tight, like he always did. They were alright.

 

Thus began a series of noteworthy Octobers. Barry waking up, Iris officially joining STAR Labs, them getting together, Barry emerging from the Speed Force, the twins being born, and every birthday since. If nothing interesting happened all summer Iris just had to wait for October to spice things up.

 

It had become such an inside joke in their family that they got each other “Happy October” cards on the first of the month off the Internet. October was a month of new beginnings and celebrations.

 

Except this October. 2024. Barry had been gone for six months. Six months since he disappeared in what she had dubbed a “Lightning Crisis.” It was as far into the future as they knew about. They had been working tirelessly for it not to happen, but it happened all the same. Oliver couldn’t stop it, Kara couldn’t stop it, Barry couldn’t stop it. It was preordained.

 

Barry had promised her that he wouldn’t leave their family, wouldn’t leave her. That he couldn’t he had too much to live for. But as the week and months passed, it was clear that if he could come back, he would’ve by now. He hadn’t sent a message, not even a clue to his whereabouts or well-being.

 

Iris herself could get used to it. But almost every day, she had to explain it to the twins, and it broke her heart. Sometimes she wished they would forget about their father, so they didn’t live through missing him day after day. But of course she always took it back. They deserved whatever memories of their daddy they had, tears or no tears.

 

She’d tell them her favorite memories as they slept. It calmed her, like he was there with them, with his family. Tales of them growing up together, of living together, of loving together.

 

It’s a night like this when she decides she can’t sleep, so just makes a pot of coffee, full strength. She doesn’t have the energy to make anything fancier than a pot of black. The machine hums and soon the vibrant fragrance of coffee fills the kitchen. She removes the pot from the machine, and brings it over to the table and her waiting cup.

 

Just as she’s about to pour, she feels the familiar whoosh deep in her bones, and hears a voice so lost, she almost mistakes it, but she could never. She drops her coffee pot.

 

“Iris?”


	16. Pulitzer

Barry was the one who encouraged her to submit her piece for a Pulitzer. Her editor had been hesitant to back such a cub reporter, but Barry told her age didn’t matter; writing did. The fact that she had been nominated surprised her, but at least she’d get to go to a fancy party in New York City and rub elbows with all her heroes. 

 

After calling her dad and Cecile half a dozen times from the moment they left the house to when they entered their hotel room, Iris was ready. The twins were in safe hands, and the weekend was theirs. CCPN had paid for the whole trip, since the publicity of having a Pulitzer-nominee was so good. They were in a five star hotel suite, complete with the fluffiest bed Iris had ever laid on.

 

“I don’t care if I win or not. I will happily die in this bed,” she sighed, spread out amongst the blankets and pillows.

 

Barry cuddled up next to her. “Then I guess I’ll accept your Pulitzer on your behalf.” He kissed her under her ear, and made his way to her mouth, leaving kisses in his wake.

 

“Okay, but you better give the speech exactly as I wrote it.”

 

He rolled his eyes. “I don’t see how I couldn’t, since I’ve heard it a hundred times.”

 

Barry may have been complaining now, but he was the one who asked to hear the speech over and over, to help Iris get over her nerves. Both of them could recite it in their sleep.

 

Iris had also worried over what to wear. She wasn’t interested in making fashion waves but she wanted to look her best. She had dragged Barry to shop after shop, getting his opinion on every dress before sending photos to Caitlin, with her conservative style, and Felicity, with her love for color. All four of them had finally agreed on a black dress that was classy, but had a slight back cut-out. She had gotten a blow-out in Central City before heading out. Barry had gone with a classic tuxedo, a look he hadn’t rocked since their wedding disaster.

 

Finally, it was time to walk the red carpet. Neither of them had ever done anything like this before. Sure, the Flash had attended a few events before, but he could rely on his public persona then. Here, he was just there as a husband to the woman of the hour.

 

The event was lite on photographers; at the end of the day, the event ironically didn’t sell papers. But a few people asked her to pose, and someone even asked Iris who she was wearing. She was too flustered to answer, so Barry just thanked the reporter for the question and guided her down the carpet.

 

They finally got to the venue, and were shown to their table. Iris excitedly pointed out the best of the best to Barry, from Jerry Adams to Perry White. He only recognized half the names, but nodded along enthusiastically. They were seated with, quite frankly, the longest of long shots in their respective categories, near the back. Still, Iris was beyond psyched just to be there.

 

Finally Investigative Reporting was up. Iris almost squealed when they called her name as a nominee and everyone clapped. She held Barry’s hand almost as tightly as when she gave birth to the twins. She thought for sure Jessica Chavez would win; she was well-known, and her piece on lead in Metropolis’ water changed laws. It wouldn’t be her first win, either. Iris’ piece about campaign finance corruption seemed tame in comparison. Sure, her piece had led to the arrest of a state senator, but that was local at best. Jessica had literally saved lives.

 

The entire world narrows to the presenter and his voice, as he announced, “And the winner is…” Iris could hear nothing but her own heartbeat as he opened the envelope. “Iris West-Allen!”

 

Had she...she won? As she sat in shock, Barry subtly pulled out her chair, in an attempt to get her to begin the long walk up to the stage.

 

She accepted her prize when she finally made it up there, and was left in front of the mic, alone. She needed...she searched the auditorium and found what she needed. A pair of honest blue eyes. And she began her speech.

 

“I can’t believe I’m standing here. Thank you to the Pulitzer committee, for the immense honor. Thank you to Central City Picture News for creating an environment that fosters the creativity journalists need. A special thanks to my editor, Scott Evans, for pushing me to go further. And, of course, my family. My two children and my husband, Barry, for inspiring me to be my best. I love you.”

 

She saw Barry mouth the words back with tears in his eyes. That last part was improvised and Barry knew it. But she couldn’t not tell the world how she got here in the first place. Iris wrote the words, but the heart,that had always come from Barry. 


	17. Quiet

Barry sped home, letting himself into the kitchen, instinctively. The first thing he noticed was how quiet it was. Teenagers were never quiet. The twins always had friends over, or music on or someone was speeding around.

 

“Hello?” he called out. “Is anyone home?”

 

Iris walked into the kitchen, wearing a new red dress. “Just us tonight, babe.”

 

He then noticed the kitchen table was set with their china and a single red rose. He laughed nervously to himself.

 

“And what’s the occasion?” Barry refused to be a stereotypical husband, and had never missed a single anniversary or birthday. Today was not a special day, of that he was certain.

 

“I thought we needed a date. And considering you may have to leave at any moment to deal with Thawne, I thought we’d just stay here.”

 

He leaned in to kiss his wife. “Over fifteen years of marriage, and you're still surprising me. How do I deserve you?”

 

“I feel the same way.” Barry found himself getting lost in Iris’ eyes, and he didn’t mind one bit. In fact, he could stay here forever.

 

“You guys are such saps.”

 

“Nora? I thought you were at a sleepover.” Iris was clearly as surprised by this development as Barry was. Nora didn’t really use the door much instead of just preferring to phase through any pesky walls.

 

“Yeah, Kelsey threw up, so her mom called the whole thing off.”

 

“I’m home!” Don cried from the foyer.

 

Barry and Iris had a simultaneous eye roll.

 

“Don, what did I say about tonight?” Iris asked as Don clomped into the kitchen.

 

“Oh, I forgot. Sorry Mom. I can go back to the park…?”

 

Iris and Barry had an entire conversation with their eyes in seconds. Their quiet was already broken, so why bother at this point?

 

“No, stay,” Iris sighed. “We’ll just make it a family night. Nora put out a place for you and your brother. Don, go get cleared up for dinner.”

 

Barry gave Iris a hug. “Sorry, honey. I can tell this isn’t how you wanted the night to go.”

 

“No, but I should know better. We knew life would change when we had kids. I just didn’t realize how much I’d miss you when we did.”

 

“I know the feeling. We should really set a day for a real date.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes. Mrs. West-Allen, would you like to wear that dress and take me to a fancy restaurant next Friday?”

 

“I would. Maybe we’ll finally get some quiet.”

 

“Or...we could be loud.”

 

Iris blushed at Barry’s insinuation. “The kids, Barry.”

 

“We’ll kick them out for real this time. Cisco can breach them to Six Flags, it’ll be fine.”

 

“Fine. You’re on.”

 

And they sealed it with a kiss.


	18. Relax

“Did you see those triplets in the park today?” Iris asked Barry as they got back from a Sunday walk.

 

“Yeah, they were adorable. I can’t imagine being their parents, though.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Three kids is one thing, but you don’t want them all at once.”

 

“Oh.” Iris was relieved. She thought maybe Barry was saying he couldn’t imagine being a parent, not a parent to multiples. She could handle that. The fact was, she was hoping to use this discussion of kids in the park to lead into a discussion of having kids. They were five months into their relationship, but they were already living together and falling into a domestic routine. She wanted to float the kids things before things got too far too fast. 

 

“What? Would you want triplets?”

 

“No way. I think I’d want at least two years between any kids I might have,” she said, trying to keep things vague.

 

“Me too.” 

 

“So you want kids?” She tried not to jump on the question, keeping it casual.

 

“Yeah. I’d like to marry someone, wait a few years, then start expanding on my family.” He must’ve seen the hopeful look on Iris’ face, because he continued. “Iris, is this hypothetical, or are we having an official talk?”

 

Barry called serious relationship discussions “official talks,” as if it were one for the record books. She supposed to Barry it was. 

 

“Yeah, I think we are.”

 

“Okay. I’ll put all my cards on the table. I want kids. I want your kids, our kids. And I’ll take as many as you want.”

 

Wow. That was quite a confession. “I want kids, too. Two or three, probably, if that’s okay.”

 

“Two or three sounds amazing.”

 

“And I think I’d want to wait a bit after we got married. If we get married.” Shoot. Why did she mention the two of them getting married? She didn’t expect a proposal for quite some time, they just weren’t ready. 

 

“Right. If we get married,” Barry said knowingly. Right. There was always the “Iris West-Allen” newspaper headline, telling them their future. “So, if we get married, we’ll have kids?”

 

“Yes, Barry, that’s the takeaway from this official talk. Kids are on the table.”

 

He beamed, and Iris thought to herself she’d love to have a child with that smile. Those cheeks, those dimples. Oh, and those brilliant blue eyes. She could imagine holding a baby with those giant eyes looking up at her. 

 

“Whatcha thinking about?”

 

“A baby with your eyes. You?”

 

“A baby with your nose.”

 

“My nose?”

 

“You have the cutest nose. I’m not going to apologize.”

 

“Nor should you. You can imagine our hypothetical baby however you want. But that’s in the future.”

 

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the future is kinda my territory. I can’t wait.”

 

“Me, either.”


	19. Speed

Iris hated running. She didn’t like running the mile in school, and she wasn’t a jogger. The irony that she was married to the fastest man alive wasn’t lost on her. Barry did things quickly, because, most of the time, he had to. Leading a double life meant rushing through both of them.

 

Iris was used to it after years of Barry having powers. If he only had five seconds to eat dinner, then that’s what it was. If he needed to speed out of their bed at all hours, so be it. But it was the times he used his speed just because he could that frustrated her the most.

 

When he binge watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine without her, all in one night. When he cleaned the house in seconds. When he ran out to the store to get mint chip. It was when he could’ve included her and didn’t that made her guiltily wish her husband was a normal human.

 

But how did you tell the fastest man alive to slow down? Barry loved his speed, and he loved using it. And Iris didn’t want to deprive him of that part of himself. Their marriage wasn’t about equalizing themselves on all friends, but sharing everything. And Barry did share his speed with her. He used it to save her, to thrill her, to make her life better. As he once said, everything he did was for her. So why didn’t she feel that way?”

 

She decided to bring it up one night over dinner. A slow, normal dinner. “Hey, babe.”

 

“Hmmm?” He looked up at her.

 

“Can we talk about your speed?”

 

“Yeah, of course.”

 

“I just…” she bit her lip, unsure how to continue, “you use it a lot.”

 

He smiled. “Well, I am the Flash.”

 

“Not just for that. Just...for everything.”

 

His brows furrowed. “Do you not want me to use my speed?”

 

“No, of course not! But sometimes…”

 

“Sometimes you don’t,” he concluded.

 

“Yeah.” She sighed. This was not going well.

 

“If it makes you uncomfortable-”

 

“No!” she cut in. “But it leaves this...inequality. You do all the shopping, and cleaning, and laundry. Everytime you use your speed to do something, it’s something we could be doing together.”

 

“Iris, the reason I do these things is so I can spend more time with you. The faster I finish, just means we can spend time together.”

  
Iris felt guilty for asking more of her husband, but she knew what she wanted. “Our lives could improve with a bit of domesticity. Cooking together, watching TV. Doing normal stuff.”

 

“You want to do that stuff?”

 

“It’s not what dreams are made of, but I do want it, yeah?”

 

“Okay, well, I was going to do dishes tonight.”

 

“Perfect! I’ll wash, you dry?”

 

“You got yourself a deal.”

 

They didn’t get through it fast, but it was what Iris wanted: getting through it together.


	20. Twins

Barry and Iris arrived for their first sonogram with smug looks on their faces. Unlike every parent in the waiting room, they knew everything about the child in Iris’ womb: gender, name, likes, dislikes, hair color, even a few future boyfriends. As excited as they were to see her for the “first” time, the novelty of having a kid had worn off. They had just come for reassurance of the baby’s health and recommendations on prenatal vitamins.

 

Iris held Barry’s hand as the technician slathered her abdomen in cold gel. She glanced at him and saw he was full of nervous excitement. She knew how much family mattered to Barry, how much he wanted this. She did too, of course, but Barry had wanted it longer, thought about it more. It was different for him.

 

The technician moved the wand around for longer than either of them had anticipated.

 

“Is everything alright?” Barry finally asked. “Is the baby alright?”

 

“I just wanted to be sure of something, and now I am. Congratulations, mom and dad. You’re having twins.”

 

Mom and Dad stared at each other, exchanging a whole conversation without words. How was this possible?”

 

“There must be some mistake,” Barry asserted confidently. “We’re only having one child, a girl.”

 

“Mr. Allen, if that were true, you’d be having a girl with eight limbs and two hearts." He pointed to the prominent features.

 

“But…” Iris looked to her husband again. “She never said she was a twin. I just assumed….”

 

The technician backed away. “I’ll give you two a moment to process while I get you some photos.”

 

Barry grabbed Iris’ hand. “We’re having two babies.”

 

“Yeah. Nora and…”

 

“Don.” Barry immediately filled in. “Or Dawn, if she’s a girl.”

 

Iris gave him a look. “Who says you get to pick?”

 

“Nora said you picked her name to honor my family. I’d like to honor yours by naming them after Joe’s father.”

 

Her eyes misted. “Okay.” She rubbed her gel-covered belly. “Hi Nora. Hi Don. It’s your mommy. I love you so much.”

 

Barry retrieved some paper towels from the technician’s station, and began to clean Iris up. “Hi, babies. We’re very surprised your sister lied to us, Dawn. But we love you already and can’t wait to meet you.”

 

“You think he’s a girl?”

 

Barry smiled. “Well, you’re the one who thinks she’s a boy.”

 

Iris arched an eyebrow. “You willing to put your money where your mouth is?”

 

He smirked. “Always.”

 

“If he’s a boy, I pick his middle name, no vetoes. If he’s a girl,you can pick.”

 

“Okay, get ready to meet Dawn Chastity West-Allen.”

 

She gasped. “Oh, you're on. Don Jehovah West-Allen is on his way.”

 

“Jehovah?”

 

“Oh, yeah. Go big or go home.”

 

“As long as she’s healthy, I’ll take it.”

 

“Me, too.”


	21. Umbrella

Iris comes down the stairs one morning and sees her husband singing along to the radio while stirring waffle batter. She hangs back and watches him be carefree for a while, loving to see him like this. 

 

She recognizes the song as Barry hits the refrain. “When the sun shines, we shine together, told you I’d be here forever.”

 

Of course her husband was cooking with Rihanna. He must hear her laughing, as he pokes his head around the stairwell.

 

“Are you laughing at me?”

 

“No, never,” she tries to deny.

 

“Well, then, you won’t mind joining in.”

 

She shakes her head playfully as he pulls her into the kitchen and into his dance. “You can stand under my umbrella. You can stand under my umbrella-ella-ella.”

 

She half-sings along, letting Barry do the soulful belting. He twirls her deftly, and she wonders as always how he has so much natural talent at this and she got none.

 

He ends the dance by dipping and kissing her, and then offering the cheesiest of pronouncements. “Iris, you can stand under my umbrella.”

 

She begins to sob. Barry immediately steps back. “Did I do something wrong?”

 

“No, you’re just so perfect, and you're always saying these amazing things, and we’re just so lucky.”

 

He grins, closing the space between them again. “Yeah, we are.”

 

“I didn’t mean me and you,” she struggles to eke out through the sobs. “I meant we’re so lucky to have you. Me and the baby.”

 

Barry gasps, and Iris realizes what she’s said. “You and the…”

 

“Yeah. I had this big reveal planned and it was so adorable, and I wanted it to be a surprise.”

 

Barry envelops her in a hug. “Iris, are you pregnant?”

 

“I am.”

 

His voice raises in pitch. “With my baby?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“We’re having a baby.”

 

“We are.”

 

He draws back out of the hug and kisses her soundly. “Iris, I’m so happy. You’ve made me so happy.”

 

“I am, too. Happy hormonal tears right here.”

 

“It’s okay. You cry if you need to. I’m always here to dry your tears.”

 

His declarations of love simple as they were, just make her cry that much harder. How did she get so lucky to be so loved by this man, and to be having his baby?”

 

“I love you,” he offers.

 

She grabs his hand, and places it over her abdomen. “We love you,too.”

 

And there, surrounded by the smell of burnt waffles and the sound of Rihanna, Iris knows she’s never been so happy.


	22. Vows

They didn’t have a wedding album. The plan had been to do pictures after the ceremony and at the reception, not in the church. Iris wouldn’t say she regretted that decision, only that hindsight is 20/20. And there were no onlookers in the park to snap a photo, so all she had were here memories. They had vaguely talked about having some kind of reception, but Barry had been imprisoned so soon after, and then it had been too late. At least they had gotten their tropical honeymoon.

 

Her wedding hadn’t been ideal, but her marriage was everything she could’ve hoped for. She and Barry fell more in love everyday, and now there were no questions about their future. Was it perfect? No. But they had respect and communication and love. So much love.

 

She thought she had moved on from her disappointment in their wedding, until she was watching some stupid Hallmark movie that ended in a beautiful wedding. Barry was on the couch with her, half-watching, half doing some reports for Singh. She found herself crying at the stupid wedding.

 

Barry noticed. “Happy tears?”

 

“Not exactly. Just...they get to have it all. A beautiful wedding with all their family and friends, and, I just-”

 

“Want that, too?” Barry crooked an eyebrow at her, eyes betraying a hint of pain.

 

She shook her head emphatically, grabbing his free hand and holding it between her own. “I wouldn’t have wanted our wedding any other way. All I really needed was you.”

 

“But?”

 

“But we didn’t get to share that with anybody. I didn’t care about the dress, or the place, or the time. I just wanted to promise you forever in front of the people I loved.”

 

“I wanted that, too. If I could go back in time-”

 

“Don’t you dare, Barry Allen. Our wedding day is not going to get timey-wimey. I’m fine. Really.”

 

“Okay.” And they returned to cuddling.

 

Iris had all but forgotten that night by their first anniversary. She was too worried about getting Barry the perfect gift, to encapsulate all that that first year had meant to her. She thought she had nailed it, and was excited to exchange gifts on the Jitters’ rooftop (Barry’s idea, since the place meant so much to them). 

 

Iris opened the door to the roof, expecting a table for two. What she got was the backs of a dozen people, and her father facing her.

 

“Hello, baby girl,” a beaming Joe said.

 

“Dad, what’s going on?”

 

“Your anniversary.”

 

The roof began to take shape in front of her. Everyone was sitting in Jitters chairs, facing the opposite end of the roof. There stood Barry, in a sit, grinning. His smile made her smile reflexively. To anyone else, he might’ve looked nothing but excited, but she could see a bit of nervousness in his posture.

 

Her father held out his arm, and she tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. A music track started p as he began walking her between rows of chairs to get to Barry. She looked at the faces of those she passed, immediately heartened to see everyone she cared about there: Caitlin, Cisco, Wells, Ralph, Wally, Linda, a whole slew of Legends (some she recognized and some she didn’t) and her daughter. Their daughter.

 

Her dad stopped when they reached Barry and he went to take the single empty chair. Iris looked at her husband, trusting that he wouldn’t leave her hanging. He just stood there, smiling at her. She thought she had understood what this evening was about, but maybe Barry had brought everyone here to watch him stare at her.

 

“Babe?” she prompted him.

 

He shook his head slightly. “Right. You probably already figured out what this is.”

 

“I have some idea.”

 

“I wanted to commit myself to you, again, in front of everyone we love, from all across the timeline. When I first wrote my vows, over a year ago, I wrote thirty-eight pages, single spaced.” Light laughter drifted in from the crowd. “I scrapped those vows because they didn’t, couldn’t, say enough. Everyone here knows our story, so I won’t bore them with it. I’ll just say there wasn’t a moment through it all that I didn’t love you. Nothing in the multiverse could change that. The best part of my day isn’t solving crimes, or speeding through the city. It’s being in our home, with you. I’m so excited to see the future we write, together, with Nora and any other children we may have. I love you, and that’s never going to change.”

 

Iris couldn’t help herself. She leaned in to press her lips firmly against his. Barry was surprised at first, but then put his hands on her cheeks before pulling back.

 

Iris realized that she now had to say something; basically she’d need to improvise a second set of wedding vows.

 

“Barry,” she started, “when we met, I knew you were someone special. You had this smile...and you still have it. Eight year old me didn’t know it, but that smile would be my downfall. That smile convinced me to take journalism classes. That smile convinced me to become a crime-fighter. And the man behind that smile convinced me I could give my heart to someone and he wouldn’t break it into a thousand pieces. I fall more and more in love with that many everyday, and I will for the rest of my life.”

 

Barry gave her that smile, before capturing her lips with his.

 

“I love you.”

 

“I love you, too.”


	23. Warmth

Iris was always cold. It had been that way even when they were kids; she wore sweaters in summer, and despised dresses because they exposed her legs to the weather, whatever it may be. During countless movie nights, she’d curl up under a blanket, leaving only her face peeking out. Barry would laugh, if only to hide how adorable he found her in her cocoon.

 

As she got older, it didn’t change. She still wore layers to guard against the unpredictable. Central City weather. Her hot cocoa obsession morphed into coffee (never iced), leading her to become a barista. 

 

Her heat-seeking tendencies often led her to Barry, even before they were together. She’d coax him to share a blanket and share their warmth, or let him drape his arm over her as they walked on a snowy day, just to steal heat. She swore Barry was an abnormally warm human, but he insisted she just ran cold. He’d use science to explain it, something about her having a warm heart. Like with all of his technical talks, she’d love listening to the nerd speak without ever paying attention. It was good just being the focus of his attention. As much as she got, she always wanted more. It warmed her.

 

After Barry woke up from the coma, she didn’t touch him as much. She was with Eddie, meaning she shouldn’t be sneaking cuddles from her best friend. But after Eddie, and Patty, it was just the two of them in the West house, watching whatever was on TV. Iris was huddled in her favorite brown blanket, but it just wasn’t doing its job. She couldn't help but shiver. Without taking his eyes off the screen, Barry pulled the blanket back and settled under it as well. Iris immediately warmed. 

 

“When did you get so hot?” Iris asked before she knew what she was saying.

 

Barry blushed. “What?”

 

“You’re just much..warmer than usual.”

 

“Oh, that. It’s a speedster thing.”

 

“Ah.” She snuggled oh-so-subtly closer. “It's nice.”

 

The first time they shared a bed as a couple Iris couldn’t get close enough to her personal furnace. If she thought movie night cuddles were nice, they were nothing compared to tangled legs, intermingled feet, and bare chests. Barry was asleep, but it didn’t feel strange to steal his heat even now. She shivered in the best way, having finally found her warmth.


	24. Xenology

“Remarkable,” Caitlin murmured as she stared at her screen. “They have the exact same DNA, but their blood samples differ on a number of different measures.” She began furiously taking notes as Barry walked in on the scene and immediately panicked.

 

“Iris!” All he could see was his wife in the med bay exam chair, apparently unconscious. “What happened?”

 

“That’s not Iris,” explained Cisco, coming in behind him. “Well, not our Iris, anyway.”

 

“She’s from another Earth?”

 

“Earth-3,” Caitlin confirmed.

 

Now that Barry was thinking straight, he could see the slight differences in wardrobe, haircut, and makeup that indicated this Iris wasn’t just quite...right.

 

“How did we inherit an unconscious Iris?”

 

“That’s a long story, the details of which are rather embarrassing for me. Suffice to say, there was a Breaching incident.”

 

“Is she alright?”

 

“I ran all my tests, and she’ll be fine. She just needs rest.”

 

Just as Caitlin said the words, other-Iris stirred. Barry was by her side immediately.

 

“Barry?” she mumbled.    
  


“You’re okay. I’m here.”

 

He saw the familiar ring on her left hand and the pieces fell into place.

 

“Where am I?”

 

“Someplace safe. Just try and rest.”

 

Other-Iris wasn’t going down that easy. “I thought I had lost you. I thought he had you.”

 

“Who?”

 

“The Reverse-Flash.”

 

Barry had no idea was Iris was talking about. He turned to his friends for some kind of explanation, and they just shook their heads.

 

“Well, I was fast enough to save us.”

 

“No, silly, I’m the fast one. You’re the genius.”

 

“This Iris is a speedster,” Caitlin typed out on a screen in Barry’s field of vision. A speedster? That would explain how she had gotten mixed up with his team.

 

“I was scared I’d never get to tell you I love you.”

 

“I love you, too,” he answered instinctively.

 

“I’m sorry I said those things.”

 

“Me, too,” he offered lamely. He knew other-Barry would be sorry for upsetting his Iris.

 

“I’m going to marry you. As soon as we get home. We’ll go down to the courthouse, and Jay can be our witness, and it’ll be just the two of us, forever.”

 

He smiled. “I’d like that. You ready to go?”

 

“Mmm-hmmm,” she acquiesced sleepily before dozing off again.

 

Barry turned to his team. “We should get her home.”

 

Caitlin hesitated. “The thing is, Barry, her Barry is…”

 

“He’s not with us,” Cisco finished.

 

Barry chuckled. “Yeah, I see that. We’ll reunite them back on Earth-3.”

 

“No, Barry,” Caitlin shook her head.

 

Oh.

 

Barry backed away from Iris’ bedside, like it was cursed. And maybe it was. He couldn’t breathe.

 

“Barry, maybe it’s best you not be here when her secative wears off,” Caitlin suggested. Barry laced his fingers behind his head, trying to suck in air. Caitlin was right. He had made things worse as they were.

 

He was in the hallway when she awoke. He could hear her yelling for other-him, crying out. There was nothing he could do to repress her cries. It did her no good for him to just appear, and put the cruellest of Band-Aids on her wound. She needed to get used to her world this way. She had to.

 

When Barry got home that night, he held Iris extra tight and kissed her longer than usual.

 

“What’s up?” she asked him.

 

“I’m just thinking about a world where we’re not together.”

 

“No need to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

They both knew he couldn’t make the same promise.


	25. Youth

Barry was ten when he told his parents he was in love with Iris. “I love her, and I thought you should know.”

 

“That’s very considerate of you, Barry,” his mother responded.

 

“What makes you say that, slugger?” his father followed up.

 

“She has pretty hair, and her smile makes me smile. And she’s my best friend,” he concluded.

 

“What are you going to do about it?” his father asked.

 

Barry wrinkled his nose. “Nothing. What if she doesn’t love me back?”

 

“I think you two could still be friends” his mother counseled. “You’re young, you'll bounce back.”

 

“What if she does love me back?” Barry questioned.

 

“Then I’m sure you two will be very happy together,” his father assured him.

 

Barry considered. If Iris loved him back, then they could hold hands and see movies together. But they already did that stuff. If Iris didn’t love him back, maybe she wouldn’t want to be friends with him. 

 

“I’m not going to tell her. I want her to stay my friend.”

 

“Okay, slugger. Let us know if you change your mind.”

 

“We think Iris is lovely,” his mom added. “And if she makes you happy, she makes us happy.”

 

\----------------------------------------

 

Iris obviously loved him back. That’s why he was able to reflect on a day eighteen years ago on his wedding day. He was fidgeting with his suit jacket in a back room of the church, waiting for someone to tell him when it was time. Hopefully Cisco remembered to help him with that.

 

A knock at the door had him scrambling to answer, even though the door wasn’t locked. It was Joe, his current father and soon to be father-in-law, beaming with pride.

 

“I always knew this day would come,” Joe observed.

 

Barry smiled nervously. “I didn’t. I’ve just been hoping for twenty years. You know, this is your last chance to give me a threatening ‘if you hurt her’ speech.”

 

Joe shook his head. “No. You’ve spent all this time proving you’re the only one worthy of my daughter. You’re the best man I know.”

 

Barry gave Joe a hug. “Have you seen Iris? How is she?”

 

“She’s ready. It took her a bit longer, but-”

 

“She’s worth waiting for. Man, I wish I could tell young Barry that things ended up this way. He wouldn't believe it.”

 

“Can you believe it?”

 

“No. Haven’t since the moment she said yes.”

 

“Don't forget that feeling. It’ll serve you well.”

 

Barry nodded. Joe gave him another hug before Cisco walked in. “Time for you to get down there. You ready?”

 

“Til death do us part.”


	26. Zero

There was no Flash without Iris West. Barry had told her that once. Every day, she understood that more and more. She also understood the opposite was true: there was no Iris West without Barry Allen. Barry had always been everything to her. As far as she knew, he always would be. She couldn't imagine a day would come when it would be anything else.

 

Just because she couldn’t imagine it, didn’t meant it didn’t happen. As the doctor shook her head and offered her apologies and explanations, Iris couldn’t listen. Her hearing was nothing but white noise. This wasn’t possible. This was Barry. He would never leave her. She must’ve misunderstood. There was no world where Barry was gone. Every world had them, and he was Barry and she was Iris. She had ben to some of those worlds. Saw how other Barrys looked at other Iris’s. Recognized that look. So Barry couldn’t be gone.

 

Don was giving her a tight hug, but she couldn’t feel it. She couldn’t feel a thing. Where was Nora? She was just here. She must’ve run off. Barry would run after her, though.

 

Except he wouldn’t. Not ever again. 

 

She was the one to call Cecile, when she realized that’s what was needed. Her family, their family, needed to know. But when Cecile picked up she found herself speechless. She couldn’t say the words aloud, couldn’t give them that power. But Cecile knew, immediately, what Iris’ silence meant. It was a drop-everything-and-come-now silence. Iris couldn’t count the seconds between when the call dropped and when Cecile was there. But soon she was in a Cecile-Jenna sandwich. 

 

She didn’t remember much between then and the funeral. Someone must’ve planned it. It was nice, as far as funerals. People were there. Caitlin had picked out Iris’ outfit. The dress might’ve been new; she didn’t know.

 

Cisco gave a eulogy, which was heartfelt and moving. He sat back down next to Iris and asked her if she wanted to say anything. She didn’t want to, but she knew she’d regret it if she didn’t.

 

Suddenly, she was behind the mic. “Thank you for coming. Barry would be happy to know all the lives he touched. Barry and I met when we were eight. He changed my life every day since then. Not just because he was a...well, my, hero, but because he had a joy for life that never dimmed. Not even on his last day. As many of you know, this isn’t the first time Barry has died. He liked to say he proved his love for me by coming back to me, and then our family, every time. You can come back.” Nothing happened. No one came back. Barry didn't come back. “I guess your parents must’ve missed you, so I’m glad you’re with them now. I’ll see you later, okay?”

 

She walked back to her seat, allowing her fingers to skim along the casket as she did. She knew the...thing...in there wasn’t Barry, that he was somewhere else, but it looked like him. He could’ve been sleeping. In a coma, just waiting to wake up. But she knew that wasn’t the case. Not this time. She wasn’t entitled to that many miracles.

 

There was no Iris West without Barry Allen.


End file.
